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Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Please Cancel the Fruit Basket: Week 8 in the BPL

o We have no idea what Andre Villas-Boas was furiously scribbling in his notebook on the sideline of spurs' 4-2 loss to Chelsea on Saturday, but we hope it had something to do with teaching his players how to hold onto a second half lead.

o farlieonfootie held an office competition this week, in which the loser was forced to watch all of Fulham hosting Aston Villa on Saturday at Craven Cottage. Needless to say, the boss lost -- twice. Although Fulham may have nipped the win in the dying moments, we were long asleep by that time despite the daytime kickoff.

o So if it's time for the Tyne-Wear derby it must be time for the referee to perform a pre-game check on the whereabouts of his red card. This time is was Cheick Tiote playing the part of the unwilling participant, a victim of his own aggressiveness and the natural order of things when these two rivals collide. Of course, it took about 45 minutes for Sunderland to figure out they were the team with the man advantage, but by the time they worked it out it was all they could do to manage a draw with an undermanned Toon side.

o We'll bet James Milner isn't planning to send any fruit baskets Vincent Kompany's way this week. After finally being handed a rare start in midfield for the Citizens, Milner may be forgiven for being slightly peeved at his Captain, who momentarily forgot his role as last line of defense while he was busy daydreaming what it must feel like to be Cristiano Ronaldo. Needlessly stripped of the ball while attempting to carry it across the midfield line, Kompany left Milner totally exposed.

o Love him or hate him -- and we're decidedly in the latter camp -- you have to admit Player of the Week Edin Dzeko has become Roberto Mancini's secret weapon this year. Played in the same role as Chicharito a couple of years ago, or Ole Gunnar Solskjaer several years before that, Super Sub Dzeko has become the latest Manchester man to consistently save his team's bacon in a game's dying minutes.

o Schoolboys (and girls) take note: Grant Holt showed us how it's done on Saturday. On the move well before Arsenal 'keeper Vito Mannone gave up an unexpected rebound, Holt was all by his lonesome when he scored the game's only goal to help Norwich City to their first victory of the season over a listless Arsenal side. It's called anticipation, kids, and it's something all good strikers need to have.